A.I. & Breeding

The use of beef sires on dairy cows and right-sizing heifer inventories have been some of the most sweeping changes on dairy farms in recent years.

The journey a unit of semen takes from arrival at the farm until placement in a cow is very important. Maintaining maximum fertility weighs heavily on the care and handling it receives from all members of the management team.

As an industry, we talk a lot about certain cows or groups of cows being “hard breeders.” Yet rarely do we talk about the fact that, often, human decisions are the reason cows aren’t able to become pregnant efficiently, not necessarily the A.I. program.

As dairy producers seek new and additional strategies to improve production efficiency, feed costs are a clear focus, with feed averaging 51% of total dairy farm expenses (USDA Economic Research Services, 2018).

“Pregnant.”

Hearing that word during herd check is music to every dairy farmer’s ears.

We’re facing unprecedented times, with many things seemingly out of our control. And we’re looking for ways to trim costs and be more efficient while not losing ground.